The Sedgwick County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Jan. 7 to deny a rezoning request for a proposed Mulvane Sand PUD that would have allowed sand extraction on roughly 140 acres and potential later lakeside housing.

The rezoning request, introduced as PUD 20 20 five-fourteen, drew extensive public comment and a staff presentation outlining protests and the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission's unanimous recommendation for denial. Planning staff said the MAPC cited lack of adequate infrastructure and incompatibility with surrounding rural-residential properties when it voted 10to0 to recommend denial.

Residents who live near the proposed site told commissioners the haul routes to the property use unpaved township roads, that the area has only one practical ingress and egress at Oliver and 111th, and that heavy truck traffic would degrade roads used by seniors and other residents with limited mobility. "There is no way to get medical help, fire trucks in or out," said Lorrie Lott, who identified herself as a long-time resident of Anthony Lane.

Neighbors also raised concerns about well water and flood risk. Several speakers said properties in the River Vista Addition rely on private wells and worried that digging and dewatering could affect water supply. Mike Eslinger cited U.S. Geological Survey material he said shows dredging can affect aquifers and urged caution. County engineering staff told commissioners that typical sand-extraction pumping is not expected to cause a broad coning effect on adjacent wells but that later state permits and operational plans will require additional reviews.

Planning staff outlined that the applicant revised the project to address mining-related supplementary use regulations and that the protest petitions equaled roughly 7% of the protest area (below the 20% state threshold). Staff also noted a state statutory clause that makes mining-related zoning applications subject to a simple majority for approval, regardless of protests or a planning commission recommendation; the county can override MAPC findings with three votes but chose to adopt the MAPC recommendation to deny.

Rebecca Milius, an engineer and agent for the applicant, told the commission sand is a critical local commodity for infrastructure projects and said the team would meet county stormwater and state permit requirements. She acknowledged the haul-route and paving questions and said a developer-funded paving project to county standards would cost about $2 million for a little over a mile of roadway. "Sand pits are not uncommon in our county or in our region, and they are essential for continued growth and development," Milius told the board.

After hearing from more than a dozen residents and several officials, Commissioner Bluebaugh moved to adopt the MAPC findings and deny the rezoning; the motion passed by unanimous roll call.

The commission also made a formal finding that notice requirements had been met after staff confirmed mailings to properties within the prescribed notification area. The board's action denies the rezoning; mining or extraction permits would still require other state-issued permits if a future applicant pursued them.

The written staff report and project exhibits remain part of the planning record; the county clerk will publish the adopted resolution. Commissioners did not set any additional follow-up requirements or conditions at the Jan. 7 meeting.